What are some forgotten spooky children's movies from the tough Disney (or not) era

Submitted by WhereIsThatElephant t3_11d62wx in movies

Stuff like (yes, special effects are to be left to imagination) Sindbad travels, or that 1982 Dragonslayer predecessor of the goofy CGI dragon chasing hobbits and dwarfs on end - Smoug.

On my part, Jurassic Park - feels so more realistic with their animatronics, 1979 Alien - same thing.

Do you know anything else I can scare/entice my friends' kids with? And adults as well.

edit: (they are pushing 10)

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Videowulff t1_ja6zs70 wrote

I was born for this discussion cracks knuckles

First of all, none of these are anything like Watership Down. These are not ultra violent movies but do have a lot of intense moments and darn subject matter

All Dogs Goto Heaven, Care Bears Movie (seriously that book is fcked up), Secret of Nimh, Land Before Time, Rockdoodle, American Tale, Hannah Barabara's Heidi's Song, Hannah Barbara's Rikki Tikki Tavi, Dark Crystal Labyrinth Scooby Doo Zombie's Island Last Unicorn BATMAN Mask of the Phantasm, Flight of the Dragons, The Animated Hobbit, Brave Little Toaster, Coraline, Paranormen, Who Framed Roger Rabbit The Witches

If you want some true spookiness. Find UNICO on Youtube. It is a cute anime movie about a baby unicorn that is hidden by the spirit of the Wind from the gods who wish to destroy it.

At one point, Unico finds a kitty who wants to be human. So unico grants her wish, turning her into a young woman. She gains the attention of a local prince who ends up being a horrid demon.

Unico is forced to battle it and it basically transforms into something that makes the Fantasia beast look like Big Bird.

The movie is not gory or anything but it is probably one of the darker children films I have ever seen. It was fantastic.

https://youtu.be/TlD1cQNFnWs

Scroll through it first to see if it is fitting.

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Merickson- t1_ja6wxae wrote

I guess this is a good place to ask: Where the hell can I watch Something Wicked This Way Comes and Watcher in the Woods?

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AC_1440 t1_jaawbud wrote

Watcher in the Woods was what I was thinking, too. Creeped out a young me.

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DrRexMorman t1_ja6x4nj wrote

The original Witches.

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WhereIsThatElephant OP t1_ja6xbhh wrote

Bett Wilder?

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DrRexMorman t1_ja6xfgw wrote

I don't know what that means.

Here's a scene from it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiC54FkzlHU

The movie is streaming on HBO Max:

https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-witches-1990

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WhereIsThatElephant OP t1_ja6y3wm wrote

Already unsettling. Good one.

I was thinking about Hocus Pocus most likely
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4e6YQFrt1s

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DrRexMorman t1_ja6ydf3 wrote

If we're thinking about child-eating women, don't forget Coraline.

If we're thinking about witches, don't forget Paranorman.

Boxtrolls is also great - but problematically spooky.

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ilovelucygal t1_ja7wfmo wrote

Return to Oz (1985), I love that movie but my oldest child still remembers how traumatized by the Wheelers, Mombi and Gnome King.

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satluvscheese t1_ja8qfsq wrote

"The Black Cauldron" such an underrated Disney movie

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-A_A_A_A_A_A- t1_jaa5hwd wrote

….You want nightmare fuel?

Watership Down

Dark Crystal

Dumbo (both the scene where he looses his mother and “pink elephants.”)

Fantasia

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gamingboy2003 t1_ja6wjng wrote

First of all. Love the motivation of scaring your friends kids. And depends on how old they are. But for some, and some scenes. Pirates of the Caribbean could be a bit spooky for em

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M1nn1m0use t1_ja6wosw wrote

Land before time if you want them to learn about heartbreak

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BabyCanYouDigYourSam t1_ja7hysx wrote

Poltergeist

Watcher in the Woods

The Monster Squad

Arachnophobia

Gremlins

Labyrinth

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eganba t1_ja7wlc7 wrote

"Little Monsters" with Howie Mandel and Fred Savage

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28mmAtF8 t1_ja8k3mc wrote

The Dark Crystal was really somethin' else. Also Watership Down.

Oh and THE GATE. Still so F'd up.

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PropaneSalesTx t1_ja8ktys wrote

The OG Ghostbusters is scary for a kid. Same for GB2. The “Flying ghost babysitter” creeped me out as a kid.

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CacheMonet84 t1_ja9dgzb wrote

Secret of Nimh, The last Unicorn, Legend, Spirited Away

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Llamaandedamame t1_ja9p90f wrote

Watcher in the Woods Something Wicked this way Comes

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homeslicepiep t1_jab51qi wrote

The Princess and the Goblin and The Polar Bear King. Both pretty obscure at this point, but oh boy were they some early 90s disturbing weirdness.

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fart-debris t1_ja6ws85 wrote

Grave of the Fireflies

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Suzzique2 t1_ja7tzv6 wrote

No just no. He asked for scares not trauma. Do NOT show a ten year old this movie.

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